UPDATE WITH ONLINE REMARKS BY LIZ TRUSS
By Aysu Bicer
LONDON (AA) - Former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss was forced to leave the stage abruptly during a book promotion event in Suffolk on Tuesday after a protest group unfurled a banner with the message "I crashed the economy" beneath a picture of a head of lettuce.
The prank was carried out by the campaign group Led By Donkeys, who remotely controlled the banner’s descent, disrupting Truss’ discussion of the US presidential election.
Truss had been speaking in support of former US President Donald Trump, stating her belief that he will likely win the Nov. 6 election.
She cited former President Bill Clinton’s famous phrase, "It’s the economy, stupid" to underscore her point about Trump's potential appeal to American voters.
However, the conversation took a sudden turn when the lettuce banner appeared behind her.
The stunt referenced an infamous live stream during Truss’s brief premiership which saw a head of lettuce from a supermarket outlast her ill-fated Downing Street tenure.
As the banner unfurled, the host expressed surprise, saying, "I have no idea where that’s come from," which elicited laughter from some audience members.
Truss, visibly irritated, responded, "That’s not funny," before removing her microphone and walking off stage. Some in the audience applauded as she exited.
Later on Wednesday, she wrote on X: "Far-left activists disrupted the event, which then had to be stopped for security reasons."
She added: "This is done to intimidate people and suppress free speech. I won't stand for it. Would we see the same reaction if the activists were far-right?”
The lettuce banner stunt serves as a stark reminder of Truss’s controversial and short-lived time as prime minister, a period marked by significant economic turmoil that ultimately led to her resignation after just 45 days in office.